Silver Ounce 2021 Momotaro Onto Demon Island, Anime Style, Coin from Samoa - detailed information

The currency of Samoa is the Tālā, the name of which is a transliteration of the English words Dollar; it was introduced in 1967. On coinage sometimes the English word is inscribed, especially on commemorative and bullion coins not intended to circulate within the country.

Samoa has authorised some private mints to issue coins under its jurisdiction, which come in a variety of sizes - including in the popular silver ounce (1 oz silver) format, such as this one.

This coin is part of a four-coin series issued by the the Scottsdale Mint dedicated to Japanese folk her Momotarō, and shows him as he voyages towards the demons' island - depicted in ukiyo-e style.

The miraculous child who emerged from a peach, Momotarō (桃太郎, “Peach Boy”, spelled in English as Momotaro) is one of the most famous heroes of Japanese folklore and fairy tales.

Momotarō was born from a giant peach, which was found floating down a river by an old, childless woman who was washing clothes there. The woman and her husband discovered the child when they tried to open the peach to eat it. The child explained that he had been bestowed by the Gods to be their son. The couple named him Momotarō, from momo (peach) and tarō (eldest son in the family).

When he matured into adolescence, Momotarō left his parents to fight a band of Oni (demons or ogres) who marauded over their land, by seeking them out in the distant island where they dwelled (a place called Onigashima or “Demon Island”). En route, Momotarō met and befriended a talking dog, monkey and pheasant, who agreed to help him in his quest in exchange for a portion of his rations (kibi dango or “millet dumplings”). At the island, Momotarō and his animal friends penetrated the demons’ fort and beat the band of demons into surrendering. Momotarō and his new friends returned home with the demons’ plundered treasure and the demon chief as a captive.

Momotarō's legend was first written down in the early Edo Period of Japanese history, from the 17th to the 19th centuries. It was an era of prosperity and social transformation that also saw the rise of new artistic styles. This included the ukiyo-e school of painting and woodblock painting, which blended a bold, colourful, and dynamic style with the compositional principles of classical Chinese painting. The historically parallel nature of the fairy tale and the artistic form makes them a natural combination for the Momotaro series of collectible coins, celebrating one of the most popular Japanese folk tales of all.

The four coins in the series treat two topics (Momotarō landing onto the demon's island, and Momotarō defeating the chief demon), each in two artistic styles - ukiyo-e (traditional) and anime (modern).